Air heater



P. G. FUENTES Dec. 2 1952 AIR HEATER 2 SHEETSSHEET 1 Filed Feb. 13, 1950 a W J! R m m r m T m4 fl MAJ. WM Y B M P. G. FUENTES Dec. 2, 1952 AIR HEATER Fiied Feb. 15, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 08L. m m w? mu m WP? Patented Dec. 2, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AIR HEATER Pablo G. Fuentes, Bronx, N. Y.

Application February 13, 1950, Serial No. 143,980

1 Claim. (01. 257-241) The present invention relates to improvements in heating and ventilating devices for automotive vehicles and the like and, more specifically, to a new and improved thermodynamic device for utilizing the water circulating through the radiator and the cooling system of an internal combustion engine as a primary source of heat.

I-Ieretofore it has been common practice to drive the air impelling means of vehicle compartment heat exchangers by means of an elec trical motor which was energized from the vehicle electrical system. With the advent of present day vehicles having numerous electrical accessories all operated from the vehicle electrical system the drain upon the battery has become prohibitive. The present limited output generator has not been increased in size and capacity due to the disproportionate expense involved for the small increase in electrical output.

Therefore, one object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which can be operated entirely without a fan and without an electric motor driving the fan, or which requires a smaller fan than hitherto known heater constructions.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which can be used not only in moving vehicles but also in homes, oilices, stores, or other stationary places.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a device of the character described which is provided with means for deviating a portion of the air stream emanating from the device to a windshield defroster or the like, and which is sturdy, durable, simple in construction, comparatively small in size and light in weight, and well adapted for the various purposes for which it is intended.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawing a preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawing:

Figure l is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention as it appears when it is installed in an automobile;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the main portion of the device;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the portion of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a side elevation as Fig. 3 showing a modification of my invention.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive the numeral 2 denotes a substantially rectangular, closed outer vessel which may be arranged either upright, or flat as in the instance shown, and which is adapted for having circulated therethrough a fiuid such as water, steam, or the like. Within the vessel 2 there is an air duct, or an inner vessel, which is substantially S-shaped, having outer portions 4 and 6 which are right angularly disposed to the duct portions that connect the portion 4 to the portion 6. The latter is extended through a wall of the vessel 2 and is adapted for receiving the incoming air. The portion 6 is connected to an air exhaust portion 8, which extends through a wall of the vessel 2 opposite the portion 6. An intermediate duct portion is provided between the portions 4 and 6. Those wall sections ll] of the duct portions 4 and 6 which are adjacent the intermediate duct portion are shortened, so that air entering through the portion 6 is led through the intermediate duct portion in a direction which is opposite to the direction of the air passing through the portions 4 and 6. In this way the air passing through the device flows first from the right hand side to the left side, then from the left to the right, and finally again from the right to the left through the portions 4 and 8. Thus the air passes three times through the length of the entire duct. While there are shown in the present instance only three major duct portions, it will be obvious that there could be five, seven, or more such duct portions, thus increasing the length of the passage of the air to five, seven, or more times the length of the outer side of the duct. By thus alternately changing the air flow within the device, a larger amount of heat can be absorbed by the air than if the air passes through the length of the duct only once. In order to increase the amount of heat imparted to the air even further, I prefer to extend through said air duct across tubes l2 which terminate at both ends into the outer vessel 2, so that they will be filled by portions of the contentsof the vessel 2. The tubes 12 may be circular in crosssection as shown, or square, or polygonal, or the like.

The vessel 2 is provided with an inlet l4 and with an outlet [6, whichin the case of an automobile heaterare connected to the cooling jacket of the motor (not shown) and to the radiator respectively, so that hot water can circulate through the device in the manner well known in the case of ordinary automobile heaters.

A disk I8 is tiltably arranged within the exhaust portion 8 and is connected to a lever 20 outside of the portion 8. A rod 22, or the like, connected to the lever 20 facilitates the opening or closing of the duct portion 8. If the device is mounted in the engine compartment of an automobile, a perforated plate 24 preferably is secured to the outer extremity of the duct portion 8 as well as to a perforated portion of the dashboard 26, and an air deflector box 28 is provided within the passenger compartment at said perforated portion of the dash-board 26. Within the lower portion of the air deflector box 28 there is a tiltable baffle 39, which can be tilted by means of a lever 32, so as to deviate a portion of the air emanating from the duct portion 8 from a horizontal direction to a substantially vertical direction, in order to force hot air through a pipe 34 for the purpose of defrosting the windshield 36.

While in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive an embodiment of my invention is shown in a substantially horizontal arrangement, it is obviou that-if space permits-the device also can be arranged vertically as per Fig. 4, so that the air inlet 46 is curved and is in the lower portion of the outer vessel 2 and the air exhaust 48 is also curved and extends from the upper portion of the vessel 2. In this case the tendency of the hot air to move upwardly will cause a speedy and intense fiow of air through the device, so that no fan for forcing the air through the device will be necessary. If the device is in the horizontal position as shown, I prefer to attach a funnel 38 to the outer extremity of the intake duct portion 6, and to place the device in the vehicle in such a manner that the engine fan (not shown), or the speed of the moving vehicle, will force air through the air duct.

During the warm season the device can be used for ventilation or air conditioning purposes if the flow of hot water through the vessel 2 is interrupted by disconnecting the inlet l 4 or the outlet [6 from the cooling system.

If the device is used in a stationary place, steam can be circulated through the vessel 2 for heating purposes, or cold water for air cooling purposes, and a small fan (not shown) can be used for forcing air through the device.

Since certain changes may be made in the above article and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claim is intended to cover all of the generic and specific features of the invention herein described, and all statements of the scope of the invention which as a matter of language might be said to fall therebetween.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States is:

An air heater for automobiles comprising an upright closed outer vessel adapted for receiving a liquid and having opposite end walls and side walls as well as a liquid inlet at one end portion and a liquid outlet at the other end portion, an air duct shaped as an inner vessel Within said outer vessel and in spaced relation to the inner sides of the outer vessel having an air intake portion which extends horizontally through a section of the first end wall of said outer vessel and an air exhaust portion which extends horizontally through a section of the second opposite end wall of said outer vessel which last mentioned section is located at a level different from the section of said first end wall through which extends said air intake and said air duct being provided intermediate said intake and said exhaust portions with an S-shaped main portion, a plurality of open vertical longitudinal crossconduits being extended through said air duct and right-angularly disposed relative to said air intake portion and said air exhaust portion, a funnel member being provided at the outer end of the air intake portion of said air duct, means for controlling the quantity of air flowing through said duct being provided in the exhaust portion of the duct, and a deflector plate being tiltably arranged at the outer extremity of said exhaust portion, said air defining the path of fiow for outside air whereby the necessity of a fan is eliminated if said funnel member is directed toward the front of the automobile in which the air heater is installed.

PABLO G. FUENTES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 947,496 Landau et al Jan. 25, 1910 1,157,101 Halliday Oct. 19, 1915 1,605,312 Weisgerber Nov. 2, 1926 1,825,884 Mueller Oct. 6, 1931 1,903,653 Brock Apr. 11, 1933 1,965,102 Jerome July 3, 1934 1,968,522 Jaffe July 31, 1934 1,978,892 Bolkcom Oct. 30, 1934 2,002,020 Nyborg May 21, 1935 2,167,596 Vial July 25, 1939 2,286,941 Turdin June 16, 1942 2,447,390 Brand Aug. 17, 1948 

